Don't Look Back in Anger
by ClaudiaBelle
Summary: Isabella Swan and Edward Cullen were childhood best friends, but just as their friendship begins to blossom into something more, Edward vanishes. How will she react when the boy she loved returns as someone completely different, someone changed?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**_The Twilight Saga, including all the beautiful characters, belong to the amazingly talented Stephanie Meyer. I can only dream to be as inspirational as her._

**Don't Look Back In Anger**

Chapter 1  
**Bella**

He had been my best friend for 8 years. 8 whole years. Then he disappeared, just like that. No warning, no "_Bye Bella, keep in touch_!" Nothing. It hurt, like deep, gut wrenching kind of hurt. His whole family, just gone; _it was like they never existed._

But I guess it was better that way, a 'clean break', so to speak. No awkward goodbyes, no long distance friendship that was destined to die out soon enough anyway. But I got over it. I mean, I was 15, so it's not like I didn't have other friends.

That's what I kept telling myself anyway. I thought that if I surrounded myself with as many people as I could, I wouldn't notice the gaping great hole that _he_ had created when _he_ left Forks. I'm not saying that my friends meant nothing: Alice and Emmett Brandon, the twins Rosalie and Jasper Hale, Jacob Black, even Angela Webber had all been amazing, becoming my extended family, people that I truly couldn't live without.

I could live without that arrogant, manipulative, over-protective "best friend".  
I could live without Edward Cullen.  
I could live without my first love.  
He meant nothing.

_Please let him have meant nothing._

* * *

"Bella! Bella! Bella!" I heard Alice's chirpy voice calling my name from the front yard. As if I could ignore that racket; her singing my name and Jasper honking his god damn horn. Lucky it was a Friday and not the weekend or Jazz would be dealing with some totally pissed off neighbours.

It was the last day of school. Ever. Well not _ever,_because there was still college ahead, but it was the last day of high school; which was amazing, because I had never really been a fan of the whole school-thing.

"I'm coming!" I yelled back, my voice still thick with sleep. I had never been a morning person, even on the last day of school.

I raced into the kitchen, grabbed an apple and a granola bar off the bench and ran out the front door. Charlie had already left for work, so the gang were parked in the driveway; Jasper at the wheel and Alice in the front passenger seat, Emmett and Rosalie in the back. They were all _together;_like _together_and Alice had been the dream couple since junior high and Rose and Em had been together for just over a year now.

Despite the lovey-dovey couplings, we were all just one big gang; even though, I couldn't help but wonder what things would be like if _he_had never left. A lot different, I'm sure.

Fortunately my thoughts were interrupted by Jasper's stereo blasting _School's Out_by Alice Cooper. Again, I was glad it was a week-day: my poor neighbours. The hysterical giggling coming from inside the car combined with the blasting rock anthem got my adrenalin pumping. This really was the _last_day of school.

I ran the last several paces to the car, jumped in next to Emmett and started screaming and singing with everyone else.

_School's out for summer!  
School's out for-ever!_

The ride to school continued in much the same fashion; the five of us screaming and laughing, clearly a little _too_ happy about finishing school.

I guess today could have been a day to be sad: leaving the comfort and safety of the school grounds behind, and entering the 'real world'. It all seems a little daunting. Lots of girls were crying that day at school, sobbing about leaving their friends behind. _Do they remember where we live?_ I thought to myself. It's Forks! No-one will be going anywhere anytime soon. It's not like they would just pack and up and move, without even saying goodbye.

_Some people would..._a little voice inside my head whispered.

I told that little voice to shut the hell up. 

* * *

**A.N: You like so far? This is my first fanfic, so please read and review to let me know what you think!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **_The Twilight Saga, including all the beautiful characters, belong to the amazingly talented Stephanie Meyer. I can only dream to be as inspirational as her._

Chapter 2  
**Bella**

Angela Webber was hosting a party to celebrate finishing school, and the whole entire grade was invited. On the last day of school it was really all anyone could talk about: we hadn't had a _good_ party in Forks for a long time.

As the last bell went at the end of the day, the school halls were filled with cheering, screaming and singing. Alice, Rose and I ran through the halls, racing towards Jasper's car, where we all hugged, signed shirts and laughed until we were the last ones in the parking lot.

Jake was waiting out in the parking lot for me as he had offered to take me home, claiming to want to be a part of this _momentous occasion. _Even though I had politely refused several times, he seemed to really want to be a part of it. And, trust me, there was no point arguing: Jacob Black could be even more stubborn than me.

A lot of the time, Jake's friendship made me feel so... _guilty._

You see: Jake loved me, and I loved him, just in two very, _very_ different ways. He constantly dropped (not so) subtle hints about _how good we would be together. _And it was true. Being with Jake was easier than breathing; but I had already known a greater connection with _him _than I could ever feel with anyone else. _He_ had left me broken.

I guess Jake kind of considered me his girlfriend, in a way, and I guess that I didn't do enough to stop him from thinking that, but he was one determined boy, which only made the situation more difficult...

"Penny for your thoughts..." Jake's caring voice pulled me out of my depressing thoughts, and he glanced quickly at me before looking back to the road.

"I guess I'm just feeling a little nostalgic about my whole high school life. Things are just going to be so different now."

"You must feel old." Jake said with a smirk on his face.

"Thanks Jake! That really helps." I snapped back sarcastically.

He chuckled to himself once, before chancing another look at me. He took in my dark expression.

"Aww, come here Bells." He put his arm around me for a somewhat awkward one armed hug. Then his face turned serious. "Thanks for letting me be part of your big day, Bella. It really means a lot."

"How could I have said no? You would've kidnapped me anyway, you stubborn ass!" I playfully punched his gut; which ended up hurting my hand more than I would have hurt him. _Stupid rock hard abs_. "Jake, It means a lot to me too."

"Bella... I've been thinking..." Jake began nervously, "I wanted to know... Have you given any extra thought to... Us?" He finished, keeping his eyes firmly on the road. His knuckles had turned white on the steering wheel.

Jake was opening himself up to me again and again, and I just kept cutting him back. Hurting him.

"Jake, I..." My lame excuse to reject him began, just as he pulled into my driveway. "Have to get ready for the party! Thanks heaps for dropping me home. You are a great friend!" I emphasised the _friend _part enthusiastically as I opened the door to his Rabbit and ran up the driveway, only to turn around briefly to throw a cheery wave in his direction.

_Smooth, Bella_.

I guess you can say that I was pretty good at dodging that awkward conversation with Jake, and I also suppose he was kind of getting use to the rejection. But that had never stopped him, and I didn't expect it to this time either; stubborn ass.

* * *

I walked passed my rusty, red Chevy in the driveway, through the front door, and into the kitchen where Charlie was sitting at the dining room table.

"Hey, dad. What are you doing home so early?" I questioned. He usually didn't finish until dinner time.

"Hey Bells. It was a quiet day at the station. Safest town in America, I'd say. Anyway, I thought I'd come home and get some paperwork done." He finished with a sip of his coffee and picked up him newspaper again.

"Nice paperwork, dad." I chided sarcastically. "I have to go get ready..." I quickly turned hoping to make it up the stairs without him giving me 'the talk'.

"Bells..." he started seriously.

_Great! _I thought to myself; here comes a father-to-daughter talk that is going to be weird.  
_  
_"Look after yourself tonight. Boys can get a bit rowdy...and...touchy and, well... and if any of them try anything with you..." he paused awkwardly, "here's a fresh can of pepper spray."

_Oh my goodness. Was he serious?_

Charlie handed me the bottle of spray and I took it carefully, as though it was a grenade. I think I was about as red and my dad: I guess we were just awkward people.

"Er, thanks dad. I will be safe. I have to go get ready now!" I finished quickly and sprinted up the stairs.

I guess I really was getting good at dodging overly awkward situations! 


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **_The Twilight Saga, including all the beautiful characters, belong to the amazingly talented Stephanie Meyer. I can only dream to be as inspirational as her._

Chapter 3  
**Bella**

Alice and Rosalie got their parents to drop them at mine before the party: Rosalie was dressed and looking _hot, _as always, in a tight fitting red lace dress, whilst Alice was in a baby-doll yellow dress, looking adorably cute. I myself, was dressed in a much simpler black dress, of course, not wanting to draw any unneccesary attention to myself. I didn't want a reason to have to use the pepper spray...

As soon as we got into the Chev, Alice turned around in the front seat and started whispering to Rose in the back. I knew something was up, and my worst nightmares were confirmed as Alice turned towards me with a menacing smirk on her angelic face. _Oh no._

"Ok girls! Let's make this night interesting..." Alice began and I internally groaned.

'Interesting' was definitely not a good word to hear, coming from your best friend, who was (so to speak) already crazy.

"How so?" Rose inquired with a rise of her perfectly shaped eyebrow. _Always_ _encouraging Alice's madness_, I thought to myself.

"Well, I was thinking," Alice continued, "since this party is already destined for lameness, we should make it more _interesting _for ourselves."

Again with the _interesting_! I just kept my mouth shut and my eyes on the road, driving my ancient, yet charming truck to Angela's party.

"So, I think we should have a competition! The last one of us to hook up with someone at this party has to take us all, including the boys, out for dinner; their shout. Plus, the other two get to choose what they wear."

They both began to giggle menacingly, and I'm pretty sure I heard them high-five. Now it was my turn to speak up.

"Guys! That is the most unfair thing I have ever heard. All you two have to do is go in there and find Jazz and Em! I have no chance!" This was not _interesting _at all; this was just stupid.

"Ah, young Grasshopper," Alice put on her best Chinese-Kung-Fu-Teacher voice, "That's where you are wrong. Emmett and Jazz won't be getting here for a couple of hours, remember? They had work. So you have approximately two hours to try to kiss a boy!"

Again with the crazy giggling.

"It's a deal!" Rose agreed happily.

"Fine! But I am not happy with either of you!" I said, knowing that any attempt to lift these conditions would be futile.

"Yay!" Alice and Rose both clapped excitedly.

I pulled the car over and we all got out at Angela's house. The music was blasting from out the back, and the party seemed like it was in full swing. Alice got the beer out of the back and handed us all a drink; we had all planned to get fairly wasted tonight as Jasper offered to drive the truck home. We all took a long sip and began to walk down to the party out back.

"Hellll-oooo ladies," we all turned to see Mike Newton stumble out of the bushes, quickly followed by a scantily dressed Jessica Stanley. "How are you fine, young _thangs_ doing this evening?" Mike could hardly hold himself up, he was already that drunk, and he reached out and stroked my face before I had a chance to pull away.

Alice giggled and Rose pretended to puke. _Great._"Hey Mike! Jess!" I smiled at them both in my own sickly-sweet kind of way. "Looks like you two are having a _good _night." I smirked, not trying to hide any innuendo.

"Hmm, it could be better..." Mike slurred as he lightly traced the side of my face.

Now I was trying hard not to puke; for real.

"Ha-ha!" I tried to laugh it off, whilst holding in my inner revulsion. "Well, see you round guys!" I waved cheerfully and began to walk into Angela's house. Nothing was going to spoil this night, not even Mike Newton.

* * *

Five beers later and the room was looking blurry. I was dancing, and laughing, and singing... but still no lip action. I inwardly frowned. Was I really that repulsive?

Alice and Rose, in their intoxicated states, thought it funny to keep reminding me how much time I had left.

2 hours.

1 hour, 45 minutes.

50 minutes.

30 minutes...

"Tick, tock, tick, tock." Alice kept yelling at me from across the dancefloor.

I really thought at this time that I had lost. I would be dressed up like a tramp, made to wear high heels, and pay for 5 peoples dinner. _Great._

Then I saw him. He was gorgeous. Like, you-totally-belong-on-the-cover-of-Vogue, kind of gorgeous. He absolutely did not belong in a place like Forks. He had messy, yet somewhat styled, bronzed coloured hair, and his skin was pale in colour; but it wasn't his amazing hair, perfect teeth, handsome jaw line or even his athletic, masculine body that captured me; although all that stuff did add to the package. It was his _eyes_. They were emerald green, and even from metres away they made me melt.

My heart was on fire.

That's probably why I didn't hear my head screaming warnings at me.

I definitely blame the alcohol (and my heart) for making me go up to this gorgeous stranger, grab his face and bring it crashing down to mine.

Okay, so I don't remember if it was me that did all the kissing, or if he did kiss back, but it was heaven. I thought to myself, "I could do this forever". I pulled away slowly, keeping my face in close proximity to his. Even from this close he was perfect; Greek God kind of perfect.

Then he spoke. Oh my holy god, his voice was like velvet, wrapped in honey: however, it was strangely familiar... What he said made me confused, scared and dribble a little bit, all at the same time.

"Isabella Swan?" _He_ asked, somewhat breathlessly.

I think that was when I began to listen to the warnings screaming in my head. Turning away from the amazing creature I had just orally assaulted, I found Alice, looking towards us with a stunned expression.

"Oh. My. God!" I heard her shrill voice screech from across the party. "Is that Edward?"

And then everything went black. 

* * *

**A.N- And so the plot thickens! Please review and give me your honest feedback. Thankyou! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **_The Twilight Saga, including all the beautiful characters, belong to the amazingly talented Stephanie Meyer. I can only dream to be as inspirational as her._

Chapter Four  
**Bella**

I woke up the next morning on the floor of Jaspers' room; and the room was still spinning. Holding my head gingerly, I sat up; only to see four waiting faces in front on me. Alice, wrapped in Jaspers arms, was sitting at the base of my mattress, whilst Rose and Em sat on the edge of Jasper's bed.

"I don't feel good." It was partially true; I actually felt like shit.

All of them broke out into laughter; all except Alice, who was looking at me with a great sense of concern.

"Isabella. Do you have any idea who you kissed, or _consumed, _I should say, last night?" She said; half concern, half pissed-offed.

Then it begun to come back to me.

All I remembered was Edward. And the kiss. And it being so... _cold; _and amazing at the same time. _Strange._

I rolled over and shoved my face into the pillow. Alice was instantly at my side, rubbing my back gently. She was the only one who _knew_ how much it hurt me when Edward left, and although all my friends knew Edward was my 'boyfriend', they didn't know how deeply I was in love with him.

_Irrevocable. Unconditional_. Both words we had used to describe it all those years ago.

"I am pathetic! If there wasn't this stupid bet above my head, I wouldn't have been on the prowl! What the hell was he doing there? What is he doing here?" My words came out in one jumbled blur. Thankfully Alice understood.

"Firstly, don't blame me or Rose for arranging that little bet! We were just trying to be good friends by getting you some action! Secondly, I don't know what he was doing at the party; it's a small town, he must have heard it was on and decided to join. And thirdly, he is back in town with his parents: I think his family is looking at buying in Forks again..."

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." I ran to the bathroom, just in time to throw up the entire content of my stomach.

* * *

Freshly showered, with one towel coiled around my damp hair and another tucked tightly around my body, I headed out into Jasper's bedroom once again. Emmett and Rose had disappeared, most likely gone home to catch up on some sleep. Jasper was not in the room, and I guessed he was in the kitchen as the glorious smell of coffee wafted up from downstairs.

Alice, however, had not left me in peace. She was sitting on Jaspers' bed, and she wanted to talk; I could just tell.

"Alice, I really don't know what to say to you..." I began helplessly. I felt like shit, and I had embarrassed myself, _completely, _in front of my friends and _him. He, _who must not be named. _He, _who I never wanted to see again.

"Bella, how are you feeling? I mean, not in the hung-over way, but in the fact that you _kissed _Edward last night? Are you ok?" She seemed genuinely concerned.

"I think I'm ok Ali. I guess I mean that I will be ok. I'm just kind of shocked right now, I mean... Did you see him? He was glorious. Like, he was always...Handsome to me... But not in that way. And I guess I want to hate him, and I kind of do, but... It's hard for me to say this..." Tears had begun to well in my eyes, and Alice came over and slowly rubbed patterns on my back.

"Alice, it was great to see him. I've kind of made up all these ridiculous stories in my head over the years, like he was kidnapped by horrible people, or his parents went to jail and he was placed in foster care... And I guess it just made me so relieved to see that he was alive and healthy." I finished with a sigh. _I felt like I was spilling out my heart._"You still love him." Alice said flatly, like it was a statement rather than a question.

"No Ali, no I don't. It's just good to know he's even _alive. _Seriously, how were his _friends _suppose to know he wasn't dead!" The tears welled up again. "I am just so angry with him."

"I know Bella, I know. It'll all be ok." She was trying to reassure me, and I got to say, it helped telling her about how I felt.

_As long as I never see him again, I'll be fine._

_"_Come on babe, let's go get some coffee!" Alice said enthusiastically.

_That was the _best _thing I had heard all day.  


* * *

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**A.N- Please keep the reviews coming! Constructive criticism is welcome! I really want to know what you guys are thinking! :)**


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